1. Appearance:
   • Texture: The consistency of cremated remains is often likened to coarse sand or crushed seashells. They are not fine and powdery like fireplace ashes.
   • Color: The color can range from a pale grey to a darker, almost charcoal grey. There may also be some white fragments, which are pieces of bone.
   • Variability: The appearance of the ashes can vary depending on the cremation process, the temperature of the cremation chamber, and the remains themselves. Sometimes, tiny fragments of bone might be noticeable.
2. Smell:
   • Cremation ashes are generally odorless. The cremation process, which involves intense heat and evaporation, ensures that organic materials are burned away, leaving behind inorganic bone fragments. Any organic matter that could produce an odor is vaporized during the process, resulting in ashes that don’t have a distinctive smell.
3. Handling:
   • While they are largely odorless and resemble coarse sand in texture, it’s essential to handle cremated remains with respect and care, remembering their significance.

Conclusion: Cremated remains look and feel somewhat like coarse sand, varying in shades of grey. They do not have a distinctive odor, ensuring they can be kept in an urn or scattered in a meaningful location without concern for any residual smell.